Starry Starry Night
by rurouni
Summary: Another look at the night of the fireflies. My first RK fic. Please read and review!
1. A Fear

**Starry Starry Night**

**~ A Rurouni Kenshin Fiction ~ **

**Chapter One: A Fear**

Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin and its characters don't belong to me at all…

Author's Notes: This is going to be a short fic, but I hope you'll enjoy it! 

Kamiya Kaoru busied herself sweeping the yard of the Kamiya Dojo.

And her thoughts were, unfortunately, not on the sweeping, but on a certain red-headed rurouni she had met one fateful night on the streets.

She paused in her sweeping to recall the night.

The night where she had first met him. 

Himura Kenshin.

She was standing there in the shadow of darkness that came with night, bokkun in hand and ready to fight.

Someone – the Battousai – was terrorizing the neighbourhood, in the name of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu. 

Nonsense. 

The Kamiya Kasshin Ryu had no such pupil. 

But no one believed her. 

And all her students were gone. 

A small, short figure turned round a corner. 

She confronted him, her eyes blazing with anger. 

And found a conciliatory man who claimed to not have anything to do with the Battousai running wild in the streets. 

She had been surprised, then sharply inquired about his sword. 

He had no answer that satisfied her. 

When she heard another's approach, she was preparing for a confrontation when the stranger picked her up and ran. 

He had later saved her and her family's dojo from the hands of ruthless crooks. 

_Why did you trust him? _

She had no reason to trust this man, after just being duped by another she had trusted. 

But she had. 

Not because he had saved her life. 

Because… 

Actually, she found that she had no reason. 

_Kenshin. _

_Maybe it's just a gut feeling. _

_But I trust him. _

Kaoru quickly started sweeping again when she saw Kenshin headed outside with a tub of laundry. 

_He's the last man I would expect to be the fearsome Battousai. _

Kaoru remembered trying to make the wandering swordsman stay. 

To settle down. 

_Please, won't you stay? _

She lived each day with a tiny, nagging fear that she would wake and find him gone. 

Or turn around and find him missing. 

Or turn away and find him wandering. 


	2. A Home

**Starry Starry Night**
**~ A Rurouni Kenshin Fiction ~ **
**Chapter Two: A Home**
Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin and its characters don't belong to me at all…
Author's Notes: No one's reviewing *sniff* but here's the next chapter anyway...
Kenshin hummed as he tackled the tub of laundry.
It had become one of his tasks in the Kamiya Dojo.
No, he could not yet call it home.
He remembered his days as a hitokiri for the Ishin Shishi. The days of bloodshed. The days gone by.
Not quite.
Old enemies had sought his life, even now.
That was why the Kamiya Dojo could not be home.
There were too many lives to lose here.
But why did he stay?
He recalled her earnest face, her pleading eyes. 
Not helpless, just in need of help.
She was so young, so innocent.
He wanted her to stay that way.
He thought about his time here.
His limited time.
Soon, he would have to leave.
He knew. 
Call it instinct, maybe.
But he knew that sooner or later, his enemies would catch up.
And try their best to force him to break his vow.
To kill again.
_It's raining blood. _
Tomoe. She had been a victim.
Kaoru. She would not be one.
  



	3. To Leave

**Starry Starry Night**
**~ A Rurouni Kenshin Fiction ~ **
**Chapter Three: To Leave**
Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin and its characters don't belong to me at all…
Author's Notes: Thanks to all who reviewed...warned you it was going to be a short one...but I'll probably pick it up again in future!
Kenshin appeared out of the darkness.
"I have to leave. I cannot leave Shishio and his men alone anymore."
His words had an undesired effect on the girl, no, woman, who stood in front of him.
She was crestfallen.
_I have to leave. _
_I cannot let her be harmed. Nor Yahiko. Nor Sanosuke. Nor Megumi. Not anyone here. _
_I must go. _
_Alone. _
Suddenly, he surprised her. By embracing her.
Her body was so warm.
It pulsed with life. 
With love.
But he had to leave it.
Leave the love he had found.
Leave the love that had disregarded his past.
Leave the love that had called him back from being a hitokiri again.
"Thank you for everything you've done for me. Farewell."
_Farewell. _
_Farewell. _
_Farewell. _
Kaoru felt the tears brimming in her eyes as he released her.
_I can only truly fare well if you are by my side. _
He turned and left.
Not looking back.
Only he knew what it took to harden his heart so as to leave a young woman alone. Crying.
Only he knew what it took to harden his heart to one who so obviously loved him
Kenshin.
Kaoru fell to her kness. 
The tears fell too. Unheeded. 
Kenshin.
Kaoru looked up at his retreating figure. 
Blurred by her tears.
Until his figure disappeared into the darkness.
On May 14, in the eleventh year of the Meiji.


End file.
